Device for generating segmental spherical surfaces



J. E. KLlNE March 8, 1949.

DEVICE FOR GENERATING SEGMENTAL SPHERICAL SURFACES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 31, 1945 72/5,? guy/me.

J. E. KLINE 2,463,698

DEVICE FOR GENERATING SEGMENTAL SPHERIGAL SURFACES March 8, 1949.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 51, 1943 March 8, 1949. J. E. KLlNE 2,463,693

DEVICE FOR GENERATING SEGMENTAL SPHERICAL SURFACES Filed May 51, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. JZw 5: an).

J. E. KLINE March 8, 1949.

' DEVICE FOR GENERATING SEGMENTAL SPHERICAL SURFACES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 31, 1943 INVENTOR.

83 7 5174 Azfne.

March 8, 1949. J.}E.KLINE 2,463,698

DEVICE FOR GENERATING'SEGMENTAL SPHERICAL SURFACES I Filed May 51, 1945 5 Skieets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

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Patented Mar. 8, 1949 DEVICE FOR GENERATING SEGMENTAL SPHERICAL SURFACES John E. Kline, Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., assignor to Micromatic Hone Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application May 31, 1943, Serial No. 489,114

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to honing machines and particularly to a honing machine for generating true spherical or segmental spherical surfaces on a workpiece.

Tne honing stones may be employed to machine convex or concave surfaces, such as a ball, a raceway for bearings and the like. A pair of stones are moved on an axis about which they rotate against opposite sides of the workpiece. The workpiece is also driven in rotation and is oscillated about the center of the spherical surface an amount equal to hone the width of the spherical segment to be finished thereon.

A single stone may be employed having an end portion of spherical segmental shape substantially equal to that to be machined on the surface of the workpiece. The workpiece is rotated on its own axis and is oscillated about the center of the spherical end of the stone to thereby generate a true spherical segmental recess in the workpiece.

A motor is employed for driving a worm through reduction gearing to drive a worm wheel [or oscillating the workpiece and to drive bevel gears for operating additional mechanism for rotating the abrasive stones and the workpiece. A sprocket wheel is also actuated from the abrasive stone rotating mechanism for advancing a rod within the drive shaft for the abrasive stones to a position for shifting the stones to compensate for stone wear each time the stones are moved from the workpiece. The rod releases the stones in the supporting collets and advances the stone a slight amount from the collet ends.

The stones and collets are moved to and from the workpiece by a rack and pinion connection operated by an arm and a set of links. The links are connected to a piston in a cylinder, which moves the stones into engagement with the workpiece and applies a predetermined pressure thereto during the operation. The set of links is shiftable so that like pressure is applied by each of the stones.

The workpiece, as herein illustrated, may be a ball having a stem, or a hollow ball which is mounted on a stem and secured thereto by a looking device. The device is operated by a piston which secures the ball in position with its center aligned with the central axis of the stones and the axis of oscillation of the workpiece support.

After being mounted in this position, the stones are advanced to engage the ball, and the ball and the grinding stones are rotated the same, or different speeds as the work support is oscillated. This produces the abrasion of the ball and stones,

one by the other, until perfect segmental spherical surfaces are produced on the stones and the workpiece.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to provide a machine for simultaneously dressing the surface of the stones and workpiece to perfect segmental spherical shapes; to provide a machine having a pair of axially aligned stones which are rotated and advanced toward each other into engagement with segmental spherical areas of a workpiece with equal pressures as the Worpiece is rotated and oscillated therebetween; to provide a machine having the axis of a rotatable grinding stone aligned with that of a workpiece with which it engages and which oscillates over the end of the stone to produce a concave segmental spherical surface therein; to provide a machine for generating true spherical segments on a workpiece, which is simple in construction, positive in operation and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of this invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a honing machine for generating segmental spherical surfaces, embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 5, taken on the line 3-3 thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 44 thereof;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 5-5 thereof;

Fig. 6 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4, showing a modified form thereof, and

Fig. 7 is a broken plan view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, showing a modifled form thereof.

In Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, a machine is illustrated embodying a bed It! supporting a frame H from which stone supporting housings l2 project with the axes of the stones in aligned relation. A housing l3, for supporting a workpiece I4, is mounted for oscillation about a center l5 which corresponds to the center of the workpiece on the aligned axes of the housings l2.

The housings l2, as illustrated in Fig. 5, support a hollow driving shaft I 6 on a set of ball bearings I7. An internal spline is provided on the shaft I6 meshed with a spline I8 on a hollow driven shaft I9, which is mounted on ball bearings 2I within a sleeve 22. The sleeve is provided with a plurality of gear teeth 23 forming a rack portion which is meshed with the teeth of a pinion gear 24 mounted on a shaft 25 to which an operating arm 26 is keyed or otherwise secured. The sleeve 22 has a slot 21 in which a projecting end of a screw 29 extends for limiting the movement of the sleeve. A collet 3! is attached to or made part of a shaft I9, being provided with clampin fingers 32 which engage a grinding stone 33 having a protective sheath of metal, plastic or other material 34 on its surface. A spring 35 operates against a flange of an end cap 33, which is attached to the locking fingers 32, and a collar 31 attached to the end of the collet 3!. The sloping end of the fingers 32 operate on the sloping surface of the collar 37 when urged inwardly by the spring 35 to securely clamp the honing stone 33 in position.

A tubular sleeve 38 is secured within the hollow driven shaft I9 by a screw 39. A rod 4| extends within the sleeve 38 having a transverse pin 42, the ends of which project within a slot 43 through the wall of the sleeve 33. The outer end of the rod 4| is threaded at 44 into an internally threaded boss 45 to which a ratchet wheel 46 is secured by a ke 47. The outer end of the boss 45 is provided with a hand wheel for a purpose which will be explained hereinafter. The boss 45 is mounted in a bearing 48 on which a link 49 is journaled having a pawl 5I on its end which engages the ratchet teeth 52 of the ratchet wheel 43. A rod 53 is attached to the link 49 for producing its oscillation about the bearing 48 to have the pawl 5I advance the ratchet wheel 46 and the boss 45 for longitudinal shifting of the rod M.

Th forward end of the rod extends through an aperture 49 in the cap 33 when the sleeve 22 is moved away from the workpiece to be in position to engage a plug 54 on the end of the grinding stone 33. This produces the relative forward movement of the stone 33 to shift it outwardly a slight amount from the end of the collet 33. The degree of movement of the rod M for each operation of the machine may be regulated so as to conform to the amount of abrasive material worn from the end of the honing stone 33 to thereby maintain the end in predetermined position at all times without requiring manual setup or adjustment. accurately timed for producing finished workpieces having the same surface characteristics and physical dimensions. When the stones are to be replaced, the rod M is moved back to its initial position b the rotation of the hand wheel 50, when the pawl 5! has been released through the operation of the lever 60.

Referring to Fig. 2, the base I0 has supported therewithin a motor 56 which drives through a belt 51, a change speed mechanism 58 and a shaft 59 containing a worm GI and a beveled gear 62. A hand operated wheel 63 extends from the base I0 and is employed to operate the change speed mechanism 58 to thereby vary the speed of operation of the machine. The motor also drives a pump 64 which circulates a coolant from the tank '65 over the workpiece and honing stones during the honing operation. The beveled gear 62 is disposed in mesh with the beveled gear 63 which drives a shaft 64 and a beveled gear Each operation may be 65 secured thereto. A beveled gear 66 is in mesh with the beveled gear 65 and is secured to a shaft 6! mounted in bearings 68 and secured by a coupling 69 to the end of a shaft II. The shaft II is mounted in thrust types of bearings 12 and has a sprocket wheel 73 secured to one end by a key 14 and nut 15. A chain belt I6 driven by the wheel 13 drives a sprocket wheel 11 which is secured to the driving shaft I6 within the housing I2 by a key 18.

The wheel I3 has a radially adjustable pin 19 extending from its outer face and is secured to the reciprocable rod 53. The pin 19 produces the reciprocation of the rod and the oscillation of the link 49 and pawl 5| for advancing the ratchet wheel 46. The amount of reciprocation is controlled by the radial position of the pins I9 from the axis of the shaft II.

For operating the stone 33 to and from engagement with the workpiece and for applying a predetermined =pressure thereto, a lever system is employed embodying links 8| which are pivoted to the arms 23 and to a tie :plate 82. A link 83 connects the plate 82 to a piston rod 84 which is attached to a piston disposed within a cylinder 85. Air or other fluid is employed for operating the piston within the cylinder for moving the rod downwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 5. This advances the stones 32 into engagement with the workpiece I4 and applies a predetermined pressure to the stones. This particular lever system applies the same amount of pressure to both stones 33, in View of the ability of the lever system to shift relative to the piston rod 84 which applies the pressure.

In Fig. 4, the housing I3 is illustrated in section as embodying a hollow driving shaft 81 which is supported by a needle bearing 88 and a ball bearing 89. The shaft has a gear 3I secured thereto by a key 92 disposed in a slot 93 in the shaft. An annular ring 94 secures the outer raceway of the bearing 89 in fixed position to the housing I3. A sealing cup 95 is secured in position by a nut 96 screwed upon the end of the shaft. A floating tubular sleeve 91 is disposed within the hollow shaft and is free to adjust itself longitudinally therewithin. A roller 98 is secured to the sleeve 97 within a slot 99 in the shaft 81. A driving connection is provided between the sleeve 31 and the shaft 81 by the roller 98, an arrangement which permits the axial shifting of the sleeve 97 within the shaft.

The outer end of the sleeve 91 has an internal tapered portion I M for receiving the sleeve of a collet, or an arbor portion I02 of a work su porting element I03, as illustrated in the figure. The workpiece I4 is a central segment of a pawl having a tapered opening I04 which is disposed upon the tapered end I05 of the work supporting element I03 and is secured in fixed relation thereto by the split washer I06 and screw I01. The screw is threaded into a cylindrical element I08 which draws its head and the washer I06 against the end of the workpiece I4.

The opposite end of the cylindrical element I08 is threaded onto a rod I09 which is threaded onto a piston rod III attached to a piston within the cylinder H2. The cylinder H2 is secured by the collar II 3 to the sleeve 91 in position to be rotated and axially moved along therewith. Conduits H4 and H5 are secured to an element IIG which remains stationary as the cylinder I I2 rotates and delivers fluid to opposite ends of the cylinder for moving the rod I09 axially in either direction.

The gear 9I is disposed in mesh with the teeth of a gear 1 which is mounted on a shaft II8 on bearings H9. The opposite end of the shaft supports a beveled gear I2I, the teeth of which are in mesh with the teeth of a beveled gear I22 which is mounted on the upper end of the shaft 64. The shaft is mounted on the ball bearings I23 and I24 in the housing I3 and also on a ball bearing I25 in the frame I I. The entire housing I3 is oscillatable about the shaft 64 when driven by a worm wheel I26 from the worm GI, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The worm wheel I26 carries an adjustable pivot I21 which is pivotally connected to a link I28. The opposite end of the link is secured by a shouldered screw I29 to a boss I39 which projects through an arcuate slot I3i in the frame I I. The pivot I21 is adjustable radially of the axis of the wheel I26 by a screw I32. The degree of oscillation of the housing I3 and the workpiece is controlled by the radial position of the pin I21.

When the workpiece is clamped in position and the piston rod 84 is moved downwardly within the cylinder 85, the abrasive stones 33 have the end surfaces I34 moved into engagement with the surface of the workpiece I4 with a predetermined pressure which is equal on each of the stones. The motor is then operated to drive the shaft 64 which produces the rotation of the stones 33 and the workpiece I4 as well as the oscillation of the housing I3. vided thereby between the surface of the workpiece I4 and the surfacesl34 at the ends of the stones 33. The longer the operation continues, the more nearly these surfaces will approach a perfect segmental spherical shape.

After the machine has been operated a predetermined length of time, the motor is shut off, and after the rotation of the workpiece and the abrasive stones entirely ceases, the piston rod 84 is moved outwardly of the cylinder 85 to move the stones from engagement with the surface of the workpiece. The piston rod II I is then moved outwardly of the cylinder II2 to release the split washer I06 which is then removed. The workpiece I4 is removed from the work holder I03 and another workpiece is placed thereon and secured by the washer I06 when the screw I01 is moved to the left by the piston rod III.

By having the sleeve 91 mounted to float axially, the central point of the workpiece I l will fall on the axis of the two stones 33. Should this central point be forward or rearward of the axial line of the stones, the sleeve 91 will be automatically shifted axially by the concave surfaces I36 on the ends of the stones 33 to bring the central point into coincidence with said axial line.

During the operation, the pawl 5| advances the ratchet wheel 46 to move the rod M to the left a predetermined slight amount so as to be in position to engage the end plug 54 of the stone 33 when retracted. This moves the stones slightly outward of the collets 3I each time the collets are moved away from the workpiece. This movement compensates for the amount of wear which occurred to the end faces I34 of the stones during the prior machining operation. After the stones 33 have been completely worn out, the rods 4| are returned to their initial positions by the manipulation of the hand wheels after the levers have been operated to release the pawls 5I In Fig. 6, the wedge end IOI of the floating sleeve 91 supports a bushing I36 which is secured in position by a screw I31. A stem I38 is supported in the bushing I36 with its threaded end A gyratory motion is pI MI secured in the element I08. The stem I38 projects from a spherical head I39 which is to be honed by the method and machine herein described. The operation of the stones 33 on the spherical head I39 is the same as that referred to hereinabove with regard to the workpiece I4, although the degree of oscillation of the housing I3 is increased to have the stone area I34 cover the entire spherical surface with the exception of the stem I38.

In Fig. 7, a further form of the invention is illustrated, that where the housing I3 has been swung through from position illustrated in Fig. 1, after one of the housings I2 has been removed from the frame II. This moves the axis of the shaft 81 of the workpiece in line with the axis of the driven shaft I9 of the stone I42. The abrasive stone I42 has a convex semispherical end I43 which projects within a semispherical recess I44 in the face of a workpiece I45. The workpiece is secured by a collet I46 to the floating sleeve 91 of the housing I3. The housing I3 is oscillated a predetermined amount on either side of the axis of the stone I42 as the workpiece and stone are driven in rotation. The segmental spherical surfaces on the stone and the workpiece become generated as the operation continues.

It will thus be seen that the method and machine of the present invention is useful for generating external segmental spherical surfaces as well as internal segmental spherical surfaces. The fact that the generation occurs through the movement of the workpiece and the stones eliminates the necessity for dressing the stones to perfect shape since the abrasion of the workpiece surface and the wearing of the surface of the stones will produce true segmental spherical surfaces on both the workpiece and the stone, or stones, as the honing operation progresses.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for generating a convex segmental spherical surface on a workpiece including a housing, a shaft in said housing for supporting said workpiece, said shaft being axially shiftable, means for driving said shaft in rotation, means for oscillating said housing about the center of said workpiece, a honing stone having a concave-shaped end engaging said workpiece and means applying a pressure to said stone for shifting said workpiece on its supporting shaft when moved into engagement therewith for accurately locating the workpiece centered relative thereto.

2. In a machine for generating a convex segmental spherical surface on a workpiece including a housing, a shaft in said housing for supporting said workpiece, said shaft being axially shiftable, means for driving said shaft in rotation, means for oscillating said housing about the center of said workpiece, a longitudinally extending honing stone having a concaved-shaped end engaging with said workpiece, means applying a pressure to said stone sufficient to shift said shaft and center said workpiece into coincidence with the center of said concaved-shaped end when the stone is moved into engagement with said workpiece, and means for driving said honing stone in rotation about its longitudinal axis.

3. In a machine for generating a convex segmental spherical surface on a workpiece which includes an oscillatable housing, a floating shaft in said housing for supporting the workpiece, means for driving said shaft in rotation, and oppositely disposed honing stones movable into engagement with the surface of the workpiece with a predetermined pressure which is equalized between the stones.

4. In a machine for generating a convex segmental spherical surface on a workpiece which includes an oscillatable housing, a floating shaft in said housing for supporting the workpiece, means for driving said shaft in rotation, oppositely disposed honing stones movable into engagement with the surface of the workpiece with a predetermined pressure which is equalized between the stones, and means for driving said stones in rotation.

5. In a machine for generating segmental spherical surfaces on a workpiece including, in combination, a shaft, means for mounting said shaft for rotation while being axially shiftable, a cylinder and piston supported on said shaft to be shiftable therewith, means on said piston for clamping a workpiece on said shaft, means introducing fluid into said cylinder for actuating said piston and operating said clamping means, means for driving said shaft in rotation, a honing stone having an end face concaved about its axis of rotation engaging said workpiece, and

means for urging said end face into engagement with the workpiece with sufficient pressure to shift said shaft and workpiece to align the center of the latter on the axis of said stone.

6. In a machine for generating segmental spherical surfaces on a workpiece including, in combination, a shaft, means for mounting said shaft for rotation while being axially shiftable, a cylinder and piston supported on said shaft to be shiftable therewith, means on said piston for clamping a workpiece on said shaft, means for driving said shaft in rotation, a pair of spaced axially aligned honing stones having the facing ends concaved, and means for moving said ends into engagement with the workpiece with sufficient force to shift said shaft to accurately align the workpiece center with that of said stones.

7. In a machine for generating segmental spherical surfaces on a workpiece including, in combination, a shaft, means for mounting said shaft for rotation while being axially shiftable, a cylinder and piston supported on said shaft to be shiftable therewith, means on said piston for clamping a workpiece on said shaft, means for driving said shaft in rotation, a pair of spaced axially aligned honing stones having the facing ends concaved, and means for moving said ends into engagement with the workpiece with sufficient force to shift said shaft to accurately align the workpiece center with that of said stones, said moving means equalizing the pressure of engagement of said stones with said workpiece.

8. In a machine for generating segmental spherical surfaces on a workpiece includingfin combination, a shaft, means for mounting said shaft for rotation while being axially shiftable, a cylinder and piston supported on said shaft, to be shiftable therewith, means for said piston for clamping a workpiece on said shaft, means introducing fluid into said cylinder for actuating said piston and operating said clamping means, means for driving said shaft in rotation, a honing stone having an end face concaved about its axis of rotation engageable with said workpiece, means for urging said end face into engagement with the workpiece with sufficient pressure to shift said shaft and workpiece to align the center of the latter on the axis of said stone, means for rotating said stone, and means for oscillating said workpiece about its center.

9. In a machine for generating segmental spherical surfaces on a workpiece including, in combination, a shaft, means for mounting said shaft for rotation While being axially shiftable, a cylinder and piston supported on said shaft to be shifta-ble therewith, means on said piston for clamping a workpiece on said shaft, means for driving said shaft in rotation, a pair of spaced axially aligned honing stones having the facing ends concaved, means for moving said ends into engagement with the workpiece with suflicient force to shift said shaft to accurately align the workpiece center with that of said stones, said moving means equalizing the pressure of engagement of said stones with said workpiece, means for rotating said stones, and means for oscillating said workpiece about its center.

10. In a honing machine, a hollow shaft, a honing stone releasably supported on said shaft, a rod within said shaft aligned with said stone, means for moving said shaft and stone axially toward the end of said rod, and means for axially advancing said rod toward said stone to be in position to engage said stone when said shaft is moved.

11. In a machine for honing a workpiece, a hollow shaft, a honing stone mounted on said shaft, a rod within said shaft aligned with said stone, means for moving said shaft and stone axially toward and from said workpiece, and means for axially advancing said rod toward said workpiece while said stone is operating thereon to be in position to engage and move said stone on said shaft when said shaft is moved from said workpiece.

JOHN E. KLINE.

REFERENCES CITED The foilowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 11,594 Conrader Mar. 23, 1897 Re. 14,751 Brockbank Nov. 18, 1919 79,610 Tarr July 7, 1868 450,644 Sulzer et a1 Apr. 21, 1891 513,632 Conrader Jan. 30, 1894 611,842 Hunt et al. Oct. 4, 1898 819,628 Alton May 1, 1906 1,023,513 Gonard Apr. 16, 1912 1,042,794 Irwin Oct. 29, 1912 1,097,726 Miller et al May 26, 1914 1,131,611 Newman et al. Mar. 9, 1915 1,299,714 Halstead Apr. 8, 1919 1,331,037 Sullivan Feb. 17, 1920 1,343,522 Robertson et a1 June 15, 1920 1,525,336 Svensson Feb. 3, 1925 1,639,012 Tillyer et al Aug. 16, 1927 1,692,769 Drowns Nov. 20, 1928 1,806,918 Riggs May 26, 1931 1,877,572 Harrison .et al Sept. 13, 1932 1,950,785 Capps Mar. 13, 1934 1,998,603 Archea Apr. 23, 1935 2,005,718 Desenberg June 25, 1935 2,025,885 Menninger et al. Dec. 31, 1935 2,105,175 Anderson Jan. 11, 1938 2,291,000 Simpson July 28, 1942 2,324,117 Strong July 13, 1943 2,352,146 Desenberg June 20, 1944 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,463,698. March 8, 1949.

JOHN E. KLINE It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 6, lines 62 and 63, claim 2, for the Word engaging read engageable; column 7, line 64, claim 8, for means for read means on;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of August, A. D. 1949.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Oommiasioner of Patents. 

